This story first appeared on the Elizabethton Star website at www.Elizabethton.com.

With snow finally starting to whiten the peaks of the mountains surrounding Elizabethton, it can mean only one thing: It's baseball season. 

And while the local high schools still have a little more than a month before they have to play their first game, the Milligan College Buffaloes start their season on Friday and Saturday, when they host Shawnee State University for two doubleheaders. 

"We know that when the snow gets on the ground, it's time to play," Milligan coach Nathan Meade said with a laugh. "We've been lucky so far. Maybe we will catch a good year with the weather." 

While it isn't quite spring, the Buffs will begin their season with a flurry of games, playing 15 February is over. 

These will include contests against Judson, Shawnee State, Bluefield and Point Park, each of which won more than 35 games last season. Point Park is ranked 22nd in the nation in the NAIA polls. 

"We will find out real quick what we are made of," Meade said. "We've got three weekends in a row with four games in a row, so it is a little bit different. We are playing good teams, too." 

They will also be playing good teams during their Appalachian Athletic Conference season - Bryan College and Tennessee Wesleyan, which is ranked 23rd in the nation. The Buffs were picked sixth in the conference, which doesn't sit well with their team. 

"That's quite a bit of motivation for us," Meade said. "To come out and be picked sixth, that is all the motivation that we need. Sixth is the lowest we have been picked since I've been here, so our kids are well aware of where we are at, and we see that as a challenge every day that we step off the field." 

The Buffs, who finished last season 25-27 (12-15 AAC), also completed the season just one win shy of an appearance in the NAIA national tournament with a 3-1 loss to Point University in the semi-finals of the AAC conference tournament. 

"It clicked at the end of the year and our kids really started to figure some things out, and we were playing well," Meade said. "That was a tough pill to swallow last year in the tournament with us being that close." 

Meade is hoping that the ending of last season has set the table for this coming year. 

"Our kids coming back this year learned a lot from that experience and from playing championship baseball at a high level," Meade said. "We are hoping that the guys coming back from that team will continue that this season." 

The Buffs return a handful of guys which starts with their sturdy catcher in senior Brandon Malone. They also return the man to his right, first baseman Tyler Weir. The senior earned a Gold Glove last year for being the best defensive first baseman in the conference after committing only two errors in 301 fielding chances. 

Also returning will be all conference right fielder Edwin Soto, who earned an all-conference nod while batting .374 last season. Sam Tarlton also returns at third base for the Milligan men. 

"We've got some veteran guys, but then we have a lot of new and young guys, too, so we are anxious to see how it all gels together," Meade said. 

One of those guys is Bryan Soto, brother of Edwin, who will have a year to learn the catching position from Malone. He will also be asked to help some of the young pitchers who have found their new home at Milligan.

Two of those, Austin Perry, a right-handed freshman transfer from the University of Kentucky, and freshman Jonah Owenby, a left-handed pitcher from the University of South Florida. 

"They are great fits for us and what we are trying to do," Meade said. "Any time you are trying to get not only ballplayers but quality kids at the break, that are assets to the program, you have to be excited about that." 

Two other freshman pitchers Meade has high hopes for are Wyatt Richardson, a right-hander from Georgetown, Del., and Connor Cotton, a left-hander from Lawrenceburg, Ky. 

They add depth to the pitching staff that will be headed by former Unaka standout and University of Tennessee transfer Josh Peterson and senior Jake Watts. 

"We look for Josh to do some good things on the mound," Meade said. "Obviously, he has had some success everywhere that he has been, so we are excited about having him. Our expectations for him are similar to another guy we have on the mound in Jake Watts. We want those guys to anchor our pitching staff and feed off each other. That way neither of those guys has to bear the burden of carrying the guys overtime they are out." 

Peterson was picked in the 40th round of the MLB draft but decided to continue his college career. He went 2-0 with a 2.45 ERA in 19 relief appearances for the Volunteers last season. He threw 29 1/3 innings, string out 21, and was a part of two combined shutouts, helping UT to a 31-23 overall record. 

At Milligan, he will see some time in the infield and will also pick up a bat for the first time in three seasons. 

"He'll get some time in the infield, obviously, like we've talked about it is something that we have to watch closely. It's hard enough just being a pitcher but you take the reps of being in the infield, it becomes very demanding on an arm, so it is something that we will have to monitor and watch closely and not abuse or overuse him." 

The third and fourth starter spots should be claimed by righthander Corey Jenkins and junior right-hander Codie Campbell. 

Jenkins manned the closer position last year for the Buffs and Meade feels like they didn't utilize him enough last season. 

Meade will be able to see what his team is made of as they begin the season with weekend doubleheaders against Shawnee State (Feb. 6-7) Judson University (Feb. 13-14) and Point Park (Feb. 2122) before finishing off the month by welcoming Bluefield College (Feb. 28-March 1).

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